Listening: Stoned Is
From Listening [Vanguard, 1968]

Slowly I’ve been discovering tracks used on Tripledouble and Diplo’s AEIOU mix, most recently a track by a band called Listening from Boston. I believe they only cut one album in ‘68 featuring nice psychedelic rhythms with blues and jazz influences, and sultry vocals. This is the type of sound I love, and it shines through tremendously on “Stoned Is.” It’s a trippy, funky, and quite honestly a beatiful track that benefits from strong instrumentation.

Enjoy. More AEIOU bits are surely on the way.

Sixtoo: The Honesty of Constant Human Error (Meaty Ogre remix)
From Remixing Glass 3″ CD (2005, self-released)

Sixtoo’s recent LP, Chewing on Glass and Other Miracle Cures, was largely devoid of the human voice, favoring dark, dense instrumentals over verses and choruses. On the short remix EP that followed, Chicago beatmaker Meaty Ogre did something interesting with one of Sixtoo’s songs. In addition to the usual remix stylistics (re-sequencing, tweaking samples, etc.), Meaty recorded his own singing over what was originally an instrumental track, writing lyrics based on the song’s title and adding a new dimension to the song in the process. Given that remix EPs and LPs are almost obligatory for any major hip-hop/electronic album these days, it’s nice to see someone taking a somewhat different approach in flipping in the script.

Rakim, KRS-One, Eric Sermon, Chubb Rock, and MC Serch: Yo MTV Raps Finale Freestyle Pt. 1
From Yo MTV Raps (1995)

I haven’t dropped a video in a minute so I thought I’d leave you with some nice footage from Yo MTV Rap’s final episode freestyle. At the time I was a sophomore in high school and was pretty much only into alternative rock, so sadly I was not up on the show then. Its cancellation was certainly one of many blows to MTV’s demise in the mid 90’s, although some would argue that it left at the right time just when rap was evolving into the commercial juggernaut it is today.

Anyways, check the skills. Part 2 of the freestyle will be posted next week.

Jacky Giordano and Yan Tregger: Rieka and Old Timmy
From: Schifters (Freesound 4, 1974)

Philippe Briche and Lenoeud: Petrol Flowin
From: Ovation (Freesound 2, 1974)

Back once again with more library music wisdom we have guest poster DJ Mawhie from da Loft Crew.

Freesound was a French library label that ran from the early to mid seventies. The Freesound label’s discography has to be one of the shortest in the world of library music, only six were ever released, although there have been rumours of a 7, 8 and 9. Even though their output was so small they seem to have had one of the most individual and striking sounds out of all the other library labels from around that time.

All six of the Freesound LPs were arranged by Yan D’ys, who he was is a mystery. The big name behind Freesound that many of you will know is Jacky Giordano, a prolific session musician from France. Its Jacky’s funky keyboard work you’ll hear on all of the Freesound Records. For me, through out the Freesound catalogue you can hear all different kinds of styles, folk, funk, weird, easy listening etc… What Jacky and friends have cleverly done is taken all these styles and brought their own distinct sound to them.

For part one of my Freesound post, we’re concentrating on the Funk and we start with two tracks from Freesound 4 Schifters. This has to be one of the funkiest libraries out there, you got a dirty and raw wah-wah guitar, gritty drum breaks, and then you got Jacky laying down some funky synth/clavichord. The third track is from Freesound 2 Ovation. Although it doesn’t mention Jacky’s name on the back cover I’m sure he was involved in this one, the track is a very blissed out thing, just some cool piano and synth accompanied by an awesome guitar solo, check it and enjoy.

Part II will be coming soon when we’ll venture into the Electronic…

Turner Brothers: Running In The Rain and Cause I Love You
From: Act 1 (1974)

Epic funk today with The Turner Brother’s long forgotten gem Act 1, a great record that was for a long time best known for being stupidly hard to get hold of. However, praise be, it has now been reissued and the quality of this album is now available for all to hear.

Beginning life as a Doo Wop band in the late fifties the group moved with the times and embraced the psychedelic soul of the seventies with relish. Ironically, considering how damn hard it is to get your hands on an OG copy of this album, the Turner Brothers were reasonably large movers in soul music at the time of it’s release, touring with The Chi-Lites and The Ohio Players among others.

First up from the album we have Running In The Rain – a song title somewhat appropriate for the miserable weather currently assaulting what should be the British summer. Starting with a fuzzy explosion and shrieking trumpets, the boys show they mean business. The track soon settles down into an excellent piece of instrumental funk with it’s chorus of horns and strings laying down funk on the grandest of scales. However what makes the track stand out is the brilliantly boppy synthesizer noises layered over the top of the groove.

The brilliant Cause I Love You shows off the groups vocal skills with harmonies similar to the seventies releases of the Jackson 5. However this is a real brooder of a track with a killer breakdown halfway through, it’s tight stripped down sound off set by swirling space age synthesizers and the sweetness and light of the vocals. One of those tracks you don’t ever want to end…….

Black Sheep: Try Counting Sheep (Caveman Funky Organ Remix)
From Try Counting Sheep 12″ [Mercury, 1994]

I went to the DJ Z-Trip show this weekend and the Black Sheep opened up for him. I honestly never thought I’d get the chance to see them live, so I was stoked to see that they were on the bill. I felt kind of bad though cause it seemed like half of the crowd didn’t know who the hell the were, and coupled with poor acoustics I could tell that they weren’t exactly feeling the crowd, vibe, space, etc. I also found it funny that there wasn’t a single black person in the venue (obviously everyone there was there to see Z-Trip). Anyways, they played a bunch of tracks off their upcomming album and to be honest, it didn’t sound half bad. The sound crew did a great job of pretty much making every word Dres said indecipherable, but the beats sounded pretty hot-really chill summertime vibes. Obviously reproducing the magic of their debut is impossible, but I can definitely envision their upcomming album to be highly listenable.

So the real point of this post is that I was getting kinda nostalgic during their set, realizing how truly monumental that time period was for hip hop. Right before they closed with “The Choice Of Yours” they sort of did a golden era retrospect, cycling trough Black Moon, TROY, and De La tid bits to get the crowd ready for that nasty bassline. Anyways, here’s a track off their debut, flipped and remixed for the Curious George in you.

Marc Moulin: Tohubohu pt. I and Tohubohu pt. V
From Sam Suffy [CBS, 1974]

Marc Moulin is considered a jazz legend and pioneer of the sound which has been dubbed acid jazz. Pianist/keyboardist/producer, Moulin was heavily influenced by the vibrant European jazz scene of the early 60’s, and later artists like Herbie Hancock, Jimi Hendrix, and Soft Machine, a sound which he wrapped up in a group called Placebo. The Placebo albums are great exercises in jazz, funk, and rock, but this post focuses on the 1974 sessions Sam Suffy, an imaginitive blend of jazz, soul, and early examples of integrated electronics and sampling, in effect formulating blueprints for acid jazz, hip hop, and beyond.

The line-up is simplified around the trio Marc Moulin (piano and synthesizers)/Richard Rousselet (trumpet)/Bruno Castellucci (drums), after too much dissipation with Placebo. The entire album is solid as a rock, but one of my favorites has to be “Tohubohu Pt. I” which was sampled by Automator and Prince Paul on the first Handsome Boy record. That one piano chord is eerily effective, and the water sample only adds to the track’s desolate space. “Tohubohu Pt. V” plays like a continuation to its predecessor, telling an equally chilling tale through sequencers, Moog, and lazy instrumentation.

Unfortunately this album sort of got lost in the shuffle behind similar, more mainstream artists like Herbie Hancock and George Duke, but has been appropriately ressurected by jazz heads, producers, and record mongers, as well as Blue Note which recently re-released Sam Suffy to mark its 30th anniversary, not only featuring the groundbreaking work, but a totally worthwhile remix of “Tohubohu Pt. 1″ as well.

Note: Earfuzz was recently featured in the Boston Globe alongside heavy hitters like Aurgasm, Sole Sides, and Tofu Hut. It’s flattering to be recognized amongst such great company, especially after only six months of operation. Thanks to our readers, and all the other great blogs out there supporting us and doing what they love. You can read the article here and here.

Tommy Stewart: Bump And Hustle Music and Riding High
From: Tommy Stewart (Abraxas, 1976)

Keeping the summer spirit alive with some D.I.S.C.O. today. Like many Hip Hop/Soul/Breaks nerds I’ve never been the biggest fan of the disco genre, normally of the opinion that it’s good funk gone wrong. However, when it’s done right it’s as funky as anything out there and one album that manages this is Tommy Stewart’s self-titled opus from 1976.

A relative flop on release, the album’s classic Bump and Hustle Music was rediscovered by UK DJs in the 1980s and played to death on the dancefloors. As news of the album’s quality spread and with demand well outweighing supply the album was finally rereleased by Ubiquity in 2003 and I’m pleased to confirm that it matches up to the high quality set by it’s most famous track.

I couldn’t really post about this album without putting up the track itself could I so here it is. Bump and Hustle Music is a dancefloor killer, designed to make you go and strut your stuff no matter how badly coordinated you are. Stewart has stated in interviews that this was in fact a last minute jam by the band and if there is truth behind the legend then hats off to them for pulling something like this out of the bag. Featuring Isaac Hayes backing singers Hot Buttered Soul on vocals this is much closer to the feel of funk than to disco with a slow groove and dirty edge.

The second track, Riding High, is more of an uplifting dance record. Ignoring the disco breakdowns this track could have been released happily in 1988 so close is it in style to early house music with it’s soaring strings and strong female vocals. However, what appeals to me most about both of these and what sets it apart from the standard disco or house music you hear being rotated is the production aspect with the horns, drums etc all being played live rather than being added with synths at a later date giving the record a rawer, funkier sound.

Before dismissing this, give it a listen and see what disco can do in the right hands.

The Impressions: Don’t Cry My Love
From The Versatile Impressions (ABC, 1969)

I’ve been a fan of Curtis Mayfield for just about as long as I’ve been a fan of music. A lot soul music seems to have a universal appeal to it, and Mayfield’s music exemplifies the ability to speak to an extremely wide range of people in relatively basic terms.
“Don’t Cry, My Love” tells the story of a soldier consoling the wife he is leaving behind to fight in an ambiguous war. The song’s release date of 1969 easily associates it with the anti-Vietnam songs of the time, but unlike many of its contemporary protest anthems, “Don’t Cry” leaves room for positive identification with the soldier, and even the war. The lyrics of the song could just as easily apply to the civil rights struggle going on at the same time. It is one of the rare topical songs which leaves room for application on both sides of a wide variety of duscussions.
All cultural and political significance aside, it is an impossibly beautiful song. The vocals demonstrate a simultaneous strength and fragility which eclipse the lyrics in sheer range of communicative ability. This is music of the highest caliber.

El Cerrito High School Jazz Pop Ensemble: Celebrate
From Jazz at El Cerrito [Independent Release, 1977]

I lived in El Cerrito, CA for two years and probably the most exciting thing there was a recently opened Trader Joe’s and a small record store that I used to visit from time to time. El Cerrito, in general, is not a very exciting town, especially since it lies on the outskirts of the always interesting Berkeley. I did however manage to find an old El Cerrito High School band record from 1977 that my stepdad had stashed away in his collection. He happens to be a jazz drummer and used to be a high school band leader/teacher, so his collection, while a bit soft at times, has provided some mild heat.

I was curious about this record simply because I know good high school band records are quite scarce and have become more in demand ever since DJ Shadow’s Schoolhouse Funk compilation. One side is devoted to the Jazz Band while the other the Pop Vocal Ensenble, and all-in-all the record is consistently upbeat and funky at times. For me, the real face melter comes from the Ensemble’s side with the track “Celebrate” which features the hardest drums on the entire record and solid female vocals, so I wasn’t surprised to see it on the second installment of Schoolhouse Funk. My copy’s in the mail, but supposedly this volume is a lot better than its predecessor not only in the quality of the tracks, but in the scarcity of some of Shadow’s source material. And you best believe this El Cerrito High School record I have is going to be fetching some cheddar from now on.